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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
environmental science
Dissolved major elements exported by the Congo and the Ubangi rivers during the period 1987-1989
Journal of Hydrology, Volume 135, No. 1-4, Year 1992
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Description
On the basis of monthly sampling during the period 1987-1989, the geochemistry of the Congo and the Ubangi (second largest tributary of the Congo) rivers was studied in order (1) to understand the seasonal variations of the physico-chemical parameters of the waters and (2) to estimate the annual dissolved fluxes exported by the two rivers. The results presented here correspond to the first three years of measurements carried out for a scientific programme (Interdisciplinary Research Programme on Geodynamics of Peri-Atlantic Intertropical Environments, Operation 'Large River Basins' (PIRAT-GBF) undertaken jointly by Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers (INSU) and Institut Français de Recherche Scientifique pour le Développement en Coopération (ORSTOM) planned to run for at least ten years. The Congo River is more diluted than the Ubangi (34 mgl-1 vs. 42 mgl-1). For both rivers, the inorganic dissolved load is composed mainly of HCO3- and SiO2. The chemical composition of the water does not change with time. In the Ubangi River, because of the presence of Precambrian carbonate rocks in its catchment, the proportions of HCO3- and Ca2+ are higher. On a seasonal scale, the concentration of dissolved cations and anions varies inversely with discharge, except silica. The comparison of the discharge-concentration relationship with a theoretical 'zero dilution' shows that the evolution of the concentration of dissolved substances is a simple dilution by the surface waters, with, in the case of the Ubangi, a small supply of dissolved substances by the surface waters. Using three different methods of calculation, the estimated annual inorganic dissolved flux of the Congo ranges from 39 × 106 to 44 × 106 tons (according to the year), with about 10% of this coming from the Ubangi drainage basin. © 1992.
Authors & Co-Authors
Probst, Jean Luc
France, Strasbourg
Institut Terre et Environnement de Strasbourg Ites
NKounkou, Renard Roger
France, Strasbourg
Institut Terre et Environnement de Strasbourg Ites
Krempp, Gérard
France, Strasbourg
Institut Terre et Environnement de Strasbourg Ites
Bricquet, Jean Pierre
Congo, Pointe Noire
Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement Congo
Thiébaux, Jean Pierre
Central African Republic
Centre Orstom
Olivry, Jean Claude
Mali, Bamako
Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement Mali
Statistics
Citations: 90
Authors: 6
Affiliations: 4
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1016/0022-1694(92)90090-I
ISSN:
00221694
Research Areas
Environmental
Study Locations
Congo